Terrorising Teachers Unthinkable: High Court On Threats To Delhi University Professor

The Delhi High Court made the strong remarks after it was told that former DUSU President Satender Awana, pursuing LLB from the Faculty of Law in Delhi University had threatened a lady professor who had allegedly caught him cheating during the semester exams in May-June this year.

Former DUSU President Satender Awana had allegedly threatened a lady professor. (File)

New Delhi: "Terrorising" teachers is an "unthinkable" and "shocking" act, the Delhi High Court said after it was told that a Delhi University law student had threatened a lady professor who had caught him cheating during exams.

Anguished by the incident, a bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Najmi Waziri said it was an "anathema" to call such institutions schools or refer to such persons as students.

"Terrorising teachers is unthinkable. Shocking. It is an anathema to call them schools or such students as students," the bench said.

It made the strong remarks after it was told that former DUSU President Satender Awana, pursuing LLB from the Faculty of Law in Delhi University had threatened a lady professor who had allegedly caught him cheating during the semester exams in May-June this year.

He had also allegedly tried to intimidate the members of the unfair means committee of the varsity which was looking into the alleged incident.

The court pulled up the university for not taking action against the student with regard to the incident.

The incident was brought to the court's attention by senior advocate N Hariharan, appointed by the bench as an amicus curiae in a matter concerning the standards of legal education in India.

The amicus was asked by the court to file a plea seeking contempt action against the student. The main petition by S N Singh, an advocate and a former DU law professor, was listed for further hearing on October 26.

During the hearing, Rahul Mehra, the standing counsel for Delhi Police, also told the court that the agency had received a communication from the lady professor regarding the alleged threat by the student.

The bench directed the police to ensure protection to the professor and told it not to "plead helplessness".

The court has already ordered protection for the law faculty's dean, Ved Kumari, in another matter pertaining to threats to her by some students, allegedly including Mr Awana, in connection with attendance shortage for giving the LLB semester exams.